Taxi Driver Online

22 cabbies have been in trouble with the law
source: http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/


THERE are 22 taxi drivers in Worcester with convictions and cautions for offences including assault, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, and possessing drugs.

But Worcester City Council insists people getting into the city’s cabs are safe and believe themselves to be one of the strictest in the country when it comes to issuing taxi driver licences to people with convictions.

A leading taxi driver agreed but says the city council is issuing far too many taxi driving licences overall.

Since July 2006, the city council’s licensing committee has issued or renewed 22 licences to taxi drivers with convictions.

One driver is known to have convictions for violent disorder and assault, while another has been convicted of obstructing a police officer, speeding and using a vehicle while not insured. The same driver also had six penalty points on their licence when the application was approved.

The city has about 380 taxi drivers in total operating a fleet of about 220 vehicles.

Martin Gillies, environmental health manager, who is responsibile for taxi licensing, said the figures can be misleading.

He said all applicants must state on their forms if they have any convictions – from three penalty points on their driving licence to more serious offences – no matter how long ago it happened. As a result drivers could have convictions dating back more than 10 years.

Mr Gillies said all those with convictions are brought before a sub-committee for questionning, while Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks are also carried out. Guidelines are then used to determine each application while committee members ask themselves the question: Would we allow our daughter, if we had one, to travel in this person’s taxi?

Mr Gillies said: “If there’s any doubt in the minds of members of the committee, they will refuse the licence. The primary purpose of licensing is public safety.

“I cannot remember the last complaint from a member of the public about the conduct of a driver which was substantiated upon investigation.”

Chairman of the licensing committee Councillor David Clark said about 22 applications from people with convictions had been rejected in the last 18 months.

He said: “People are absolutely safe. To have 22 on our books and to have rejected 22 shows we are quite strict.”

Taraq Mahmood, chairman of Worcester Taxi Drivers’ Association, said: “There might be some with convictions but the majority do a good job. It’s not easy getting a licence if you have a conviction but if you haven’t that’s where the main problem is. There are too many taxis in Worcester. It’s not easy for us.”

The number of taxi drivers with convictions operating in Worcester will form part of a feature on tonight’s Inside Out on BBC1 at 7.30pm.

Convictions and cautions

Information from Worcester City Council did not include details of all cases, but included drivers with:

A caution for possession of cannabis

Penalty points and conviction following crash

A caution for possession of a controlled drug

A caution for possessing a weapon in public

A conviction for driving without valid insurance

A conviction for battery

A conviction for an unknown offence and nine penalty points

Convictions for obstructing a police officer, speeding and using a vehicle while not insured

Two convictions and a caution – one for using a vehicle while uninsured Convictions for violent disorder and assault

A conviction for assault.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

They sound like a nice bunch. Perhaps they should ask the public if they'd put their child or themselves in the care of such drivers. The results maybe somewhat different

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

These convictions may have been 10 or even 20 years ago. Surely if someone has been a good citizen for a few years since a conviction, they should be able to be considered fit and proper now.

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Grandad,

Exactly......unless the press want us to start shooting or hanging people for all criminal offences these things are bound to be reported.

How about criminalising sh*t reporting after chrimbo?

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

You're quite right they should, but, it depends on the criminal activity IMO. If somebody is violent when provoked it may not show any incidents for some years, and, not because they are reformed but because nobodies pi$$ed them off recently

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

I would like to believe that these convictions were "earned" whilst the people were still teenagers and that they have now grown up to be happily married 30 somethings with growing families and they are pillars of the community.

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Grandad,

I suspect they are a nice bunch, and I also suspect those incidents happened many many years ago.

Even prospective taxi/PH drivers should be excused certain offences that happened, say, twenty years ago.

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IDFIMH